There's two things here - the how and the why.  The how is using DAW (tool).  For instance - how do I add a new track? or how do I edit in Melodyne?  Part of the learning curve for the how is identifying what button/icon/menu item does what.  Voice command is the next step in this evolution - to add an audio track - you say "Add audio track."  Terminology is key for this to work.
 
I would love to be able to sit 15 feet from my DAW keyboard/display and say "Start transport, record".  This would be differentiation in the market.
 
The why is much more complicated as this gets into the techniques of creating, recording and producing music. SOrt of the when do I use that (i.e. when do I use a compressor and what does it do?)   Unfortunately, experiential and/or tutorial learning is the only way to do this.  In the Abbey Roads and Record Plants, someone on their first day would never be asked to dial in a compressor, but that could very well be where the user is today.

einstein36
The only thing that pops into my mind I think would help any DAW software is the voice digital assistants that helps and guides you through complicated stuff, things like Alexa, etc... :)
You know sort of like Scotty from Star Trek, Hello, computer, Hello, Sonar :)

no ...
 

Anderton
Or maybe when you boot up a DAW, there could be an optional screen with questions like "Do you play guitar and need a direct input?" "How many tracks do you need for mics?" and depending on your answer, what's needed would be created. Maybe there would be ways to enhance the Start screen to make it easier to get started.

 
and double no ...
 
these things are like the training wheels when learning to ride a bike ... they get really annoying/embarassing once you know you how to do it ... plus you can learn without, often quicker
 
like that "Add tracks" buttons which I have absolutely no use for as it does not cover all options you need to add tracks to a large project ... plus what's there in terms of standard features is quicker once you know (keyboard shortcuts, ctrl click routing, etc.) ... plus all of this is beaten by track templates ...
 

Resonant Serpent
For beginners, it would be better if they were shown the "why" along with the "how". Not just how to load up a compressor or parallel effects on a bus, but why you do it and the beginning and end results.

this is what I fully agree with!
 

bitman
Either way, it helps to be an engineer. That's why they were called such.

 
+1000 ... and bitman gets me started thinking, actually ...
 
Being an engineer by training I like to understand first, have all options in place and labelled intuitively and off I go - I work a virtual console plus a digital tape machine plus real and virtual gear that gets patched in. It all makes sense, I wouldn't want it any different. I even wouldn't want part of it hidden (that's why I never bother to use lense ... screenset are fine for me).
 
However, coming in from the creative side of it as a musician it must be a nightmare ... thousand clicks, complicated routing, buffers up/down, latency what???, oh damn I hear myself doubled again how did I fix that last time? oh no another crash ... so I reckon for musicians who want to be creative without having to care about the recording groundwork it would have to look different by design (Siri and Alexa would not be enough to walk you thru the mess you get yourself into if you don't know your way around) ... so there radically stripped lenses, which Cakewalk prepares for guitar heros, hardware synth tweakers, e-drummers, bass player in need for groove to jam along, etc might help ... yet, there must be tools/programs out there already which target this group.
 
lots of words - short conclusions: Cakewalk should stick to what it does best i.e. providing a very intuitive DAW which user can customize to their needs via RTFM et al. the learning afterall is part of the fun :-)
 
 
 

The Sonar Groove3 Videos are excellent! They will get anyone up and running. I go back and review them often. I always pick up something I had overlooked or forgotten about.😎

Even a tool as simple as a hammer requires practice to achieve an acceptable level of proficiency (and I have purpled up my thumb enough times to know I will never be a good carpenter).
 
To expect a tool as complex as SPLAT to be easy for a beginner to use is absurd. People with years of studio experience who expect SONAR to be more user-friendly should get the old 286 out of the garage and synch Cakewalk 5.0 up with the 3340. Remember how easy that was?
 
Musicianship requires study, practice and a dedication to craft that will always defy the desire for instant gratification. So my suggestion to help with the learning curve is to publish some kind of book full of tips. Or maybe a sticky thread with similar tips and tricks. Or possibly an online manual? Oh I know, how about a dedicated user forum where people can get help with using the current toolset.
 
I wish I had a more productive answer but thank you for bringing this up Craig. Sorry for the sarcasm, I didn't realize how much I was bothered by this subject until I read your OP.
 
While I'm at it let me also thank you for all of your contributions to the subject of music oriented technology. I don't believe there is any individual I have learned more from than you.

OK, I'm going to be little outside the box.
 
You to need to apply for a license to use the DAW of choice. Not the kind you think. Imagine it like a driving license.
 
First you have to pass a written test showing that you know the terminology of the DAW.
Second you have to pass an online test using the DAW in a real world situation (maybe by genre would be tre cool).
Then and only then will your DAW software be unlocked for use.
 
BONUS points. Learn how the DAW maker's forum works WRT to images etc.
 

All of that may not make the DAW easier to use but it could make (this?) peer-to-peer support easier?

All DAWs I've seen suffer from the same issue, an assumption the user is familiar with recording, mixing or live sound.  Many beginners have no background so buying an interface, samples or a daw is their entry into the digital recording world.
 
To me every DAW should strive to identify basic tasks their user might want to do and then make those tasks drop dead simple for the user to discover 1) what the task is, 2) how to perform the task and 3) get usable results.  Ideally the software should monitor what mistakes the user makes and adapt to the way the user works, not the way the software works.
 
The industry needs to standardize basic functions like set up an interface, arm a track for recording, set up a midi instrument track, cut, copy and paste data and so on.
 
One thing that amazes me is how much every daw pretty much assumes the same starting pint for a project is tracking.  There are people that NEVER record tracks but instead import prerecorded audio or midi tracks or even samples.  They remix existing material.  These people don't need help setting up an audio interface, they don't need help setting up a midi input, they need to know how to import material.  How can the software make it easy people like this start a project?  Why can't the software learn user habits enough to understand what the user normally wants to do?  At the same time how can the software help people that wish to use a daw in the more traditional manner?
 
I would really like to see software better adapt to tasks.

One item, maybe for Sonar, is the control surfaces.  Sonar does not automatically detect and setup, for example my Behringer X-Touch (or the BCF2000 that it replaced) or Frontier Tranzport.  They are detected but not automatically setup for use.  I have a basic version of Studio One 3 and it automatically detects and sets up my control surfaces, I don't need to do any manual setup.  This is something any DAW should do.
 
 

This is a great thread idea. I hope somebody actually pays attention to it. As I see it:
 
Most DAW's do too much and become a bloated, confusing mass of menus. I find that it's harder to learn when there are numerous ways to do the same thing. Flexibility is nice, but sometimes there's too many features and options. I really feel that the addition of new features happens too often, and we all know about the unintended consequences that pop up in what seem to be unrelated areas of the program.
 
Another thing that would be good is software that works as documented. Workarounds annoy experienced users and can be very offputing to a novice. It's hard to learn when you follow the instructions and things don't work as described. I would guess that most Sonar users don't come to the forums for help, and most software doesn't have a forum to turn to. Cakewalk is using their user base as a primary means of customer support, so the quality of that support can't be controlled.
 
Working on a DAW is like accessing a huge recording studio through the keyhole in the front door. A tiny little window through which you have to manage hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. It shouldn't be too hard.Too much energy gets expended just getting around and learning the complex system, while creative energy gets blown off. 
 

I came to Sonar because I purchased the Roland Studio pack that came with Logic. The learning curve was huge. After days of frustration trying to get up and recording on a pc I found out that Logic had gone to Mac only. Sonar 1 came recommended so I installed it. It took a while to get set up but it was way more intuitive. The manual was a big book and was incredibly helpful. I think an easy searchable, up to date FAQ tab would do it for me.
 
Rocky